Martin Compston on Prime Video thriller Fear: 'It explores the worst thing any parent can be accused of!'

As a parent himself, Line of Duty star Martin Compston can understand the turmoil his character endures in Prime Video's new three-part psychological thriller Fear, centred on a family pushed to their limit when their menacing neighbour accuses them of child abuse.

"It's probably the worst thing any parent can be accused of and, these days, an accusation seems to stick before there's any evidence," says Martin, who shares a four-year-old son with his wife, actor and model Tianna Flynn.

The Scottish actor stars alongside The Lazarus Project’s Anjli Mohindra, as married couple Martyn and Rebecca Berwick, who relocate from London to a beautiful new house in Glasgow with their two young children.

Life in their dream home soon turns into a nightmare, however, as their basement-dwelling neighbour Jan (Tom Jones' Solly McLeod) starts making unnerving remarks towards Rebecca, initiating a campaign of intimidation against the couple, which culminates in him accusing them of physically, mentally and sexually abusing their children.

With the authorities refusing to step in, Martyn and Rebecca feel helpless. How far will Martyn go to ensure his family isn’t living in fear?

Here Martin, 40, and Anjli, 34, tell us more…

What do Martyn and Rebecca make of their new neighbour Jan?

Anjli: "When Martyn and Rebecca meet Jan, he appears to offer friendship and a sense of community, which is what the couple have perhaps been starved of in London. Jan presents himself to Rebecca as this wounded soul, so you really feel for him. But it's not long before the relationship turns on its head and we start to see more of Jan’s insidious tendencies."

Martin: "Based on Dirk Kurbjuweit’s book Fear, I think it was intended for the neighbour to be played by someone older. But instead of having a creepy old man stalking this family, there’s this young guy who appears to just want some neighbours — but he's very damaged and takes everything the wrong way…"

Indeed, following a misunderstanding, troubled Jan accuses Martyn and Rebecca of abusing their two children…

Martin: "It’s a horrible time for the Berwicks, however, we also learn Jan has endured a horrific past. So this drama poses two questions: ‘How far would you go to defend your name and protect your children?’ and 'How much does historic childhood trauma excuse present behaviour?'"

Anjli: "This is one of those rare dramas where the villain of the piece is so humanised. We’re often just presented with the ‘threat’ and not the inner workings of why someone does what they do. I hope this drama makes viewers consider how they’d handle the situation and who’s right or wrong."

What does Solly McLeod bring to the role of Jan?

Martin: "Solly’s such a wonderful actor that even when Jan's stepping over the line, you still feel sympathy for him. Throughout the drama, Jan and Martyn are in each other’s orbit and on each other’s smart devices but Solly and I don’t really have many scenes together until one big showdown - yet the Berwicks’ house creates a real sense of claustrophobia and makes it feel like we're all in that one space all of the time."

What was it like filming in the Berwicks’ magnificent house? And, Martin, you’re based mainly in Las Vegas in the US, what was it like being back in your native Glasgow?

Martin: "The house is situated in Glasgow's West End, a very desirable postcode overlooking Kelvingrove Park — it’s a beautiful place and the architecture's just stunning. The house has this impressive staircase and all these areas to explore, so the kids thought they were living in a castle. It was nice being close to my place in Greenock so I could nip home and I also took the team to different bars and restaurants. I felt like a tour guide!"

The influence and capabilities of smart technology is a major theme in the drama. How do you feel about the impact of technology on our lives and in our homes?

Anjli: "I've always been terrified of smart devices… then I discovered my boyfriend has [smart assistant] Siri on his phone! I was like: ‘How long have you had Siri next to our bed!? I don't know how comfortable I feel about that!’ Reading the scripts for this, it felt like a tangible fear; it makes you look around your home, wondering if this tech is being abused and if the ‘threat’ could be near. It's a massive component in the drama, and really quite eerie."

Finally, have you ever had any nightmare neighbours? Or have you ever been one?

Anjli: "For the first five years I lived in London, I had way too many house parties; I think every neighbour in the block I lived in hated us!"

Martin: "I once had a flatmate, who was a singer in a band. I'd be on the road quite a bit with work and, whenever I’d return, the lovely old man downstairs would come to me and politely say: ‘Martin, the singing’s just going on a wee bit’. When he showed me he’d bought earplugs, I knew it was time to have a word with my flatmate!"

All three episodes of Fear are available to stream on Prime Video from Tuesday, March 4.